Boley Pittard

Sir,

While playing golf with a friend recently, I was reminiscing about cars and drivers of the early 1960s. One such driver whose name came up was Boley Pittard.

Unfortunately, neither my playing partner nor myself could remember what became of this man. We were sure we had seen him race both in GT cars (such as Alfa Romeo GTZ) and saloons (Ford Mustang and Falcon Sprints). Were we correct?

Another doubt weird was his nationality— South African or Channel Islander?

I would therefore be most grateful for any information you could let me have regarding what must have been the relatively short racing career of Boley Pittard.

KJ Brown

Hastings, East Sussex

Boley ‘Bo’ Pittard died on Saturday June 10, 1967, from severe burns sustained during the Coppa Autodromo Monza Formula Three race. The Jerseyman had taken pole position and contested the lead in the second of two heats, before finishing tenth.

A premium was placed on fuel capacity in the final, which was over 35 laps. The ambient temperature was oppressive, which caused a few tanks to start dnbbling.

At the green flag, the engine compartment of Pittard’s private Lola caught fire, and in seconds the conflagration consumed the whole car. Eye-witnesses reported it exploded like a napalm bomb, giving him no chance to escape.

The race went on, but the colourful Pittard was eventually rushed to hospital, where he succumbed. DJT